Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Sophie

I've always been a huge fan of Illamasqua, so when I finally got a chance to peruse their new boutique at The Bay Yorkdale in November, I jumped at the chance to pick up some new goodies (especially since I had some gift cards that I got for my birthday). I have several of Illamasqua's blushes now, and all of them are matte shades because that's all they used to make, but they've since added a few shimmery options, so I picked up two of them. Each Illamasqua Powder Blusher comes in black plastic stylized square compacts with clear lids, contains 4.5 grams of product, and retails for $26. This particular shade is exclusive to Illamasqua boutiques.
Sophie

Sophie is a medium warm-toned grapefruit pink with gold shimmer-sheen in a frosted finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, finely-milled, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more pink and much more shimmery than Illamasqua Excite, more coral and much more shimmery than Illamasqua Hussy, similar to Tarte Glisten, similar though more shimmery than NARS Deep Throat, darker and more coral than NARS Orgasm and MAC Springsheen, and more coral than MAC Peachykeen.

Like all of Illamasqua's powder blushes, the formula on this is fantastic — smooth, buttery, ultra-pigmented. Sophie is the quintessential shimmery coral blush which looks more pink in certain lighting and more peach in others and always gives that perfect healthy flush, like you're actually super happy and well-rested and relaxed from vacation, even though you're stressed as hell and it's the middle of winter. Ultimately, though, this is an extremely dupeable shade and every single make-up brand out there has something similar (I call this the "Orgasm effect"), so it's really not a must-have by any means (and you very likely have this kind of shade already). But it is apart of the S.O.P.H.I.E. (Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred, and Intolerance Everywhere) collection, and a portion of the proceeds from this product goes straight to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. So you can do a good deed and look gorgeous at the same time.

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Morale

I've always been a huge fan of Illamasqua, so when I finally got a chance to peruse their new boutique at The Bay Yorkdale in November, I jumped at the chance to pick up some new goodies (especially since I had some gift cards that I got for my birthday). I have several of Illamasqua's blushes now, and all of them are matte shades because that's all they used to make, but they've since added a few shimmery options, so I picked up two of them. Each Illamasqua Powder Blusher comes in black plastic stylized square compacts with clear lids, contains 4.5 grams of product, and retails for $26 at Illamasqua boutiques and $32 at Sephora locations.
Morale

Morale is a medium cool-toned cotton candy pink with magenta undertones and gold iridescent shimmer-sheen in a frosted finish. This shade was originally launched with 2011's Theatre of the Nameless collection, and is permanent. It has a soft, finely-milled, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is brighter and cooler than MAC Gentle Mineralize Blush, cooler and more frosted than NARS Angelika and Tarte Adored, and darker and cooler than NARS Gaiety.

As a blush fiend/hoarder, I like to think that I have pretty much all the different kinds of blush shades out there, but this one is surprisingly unique to me. It's that kind of pink that is definitely cotton candy but has an undercurrent of magenta that gives it more depth. Moreover, it has a gorgeous shimmer-sheen to it that leaves skin looking beautifully illuminated, which isn't that common in pinks like these. In certain lighting, it looks more cotton candy and in others, it looks more rosy or magenta. The best thing about this blush is the texture, which is just so smooth and buttery. It's really pigmented but also blends out like a champ so you can really get a really nice bright pop of colour or a gorgeous diffused "perfect flush" glow. Because of this, it works all on skintones from fair to dark. The gold shimmer gives it a warmth that keeps it flattering for warmer undertones, too (and I find that those with warmer undertones tend to also make cooler shades warmer on the skin). A great shade for the transition into Spring.

NYC — Spring 2013: Cosmetics Haul (Part II)

So, this is the second part of my cosmetics haul, which comprises mainly of all the colour products I bought. 
Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Hussy, Chased, and Tweak
Urban Decay Rebound Build Your Own Palette
Urban Decay Eyeshadows (clockwise from bottom left): Easy Baked, Psychedelic Sister, Gravity, and Loaded
Boscia Limited Edition Green Tea Blotting Linens (x2)
I was seriously debating between the NARS Pierre Hardy Boys Don't Cry Blush Palette, two Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes in Peaceful and Achiote, and the Illamasqua Powder Blushers. As you can see, I ended up deciding on the Illamasqua blushes, only because they're much less accessible in Toronto (as far as I know, Illamasqua's make-up collection is only available at the Eaton Centre location), they're way cheaper over there ($24 USD vs. $32 CAD!), and because I've wanted to get them for a much longer time. The NARS Pierre Hardy blush is gorgeous and was actually in my shopping basket, but in the end, I just couldn't justify $41 for a single blush when there were just so many other things I could buy. And even though I just got a customizable eyeshadow palette from Urban Decay last month, I couldn't resist getting another one because the prices in the US are quite a bit cheaper ($18 per eyeshadow instead of $22), so I ended up getting four shades that I'd been debating between last time plus an empty metal palette to put them. And, finally, I snatched up a couple of my favourite Boscia blotting sheets because I'm on my last pack now and they're $2 cheaper in the States. I gotta say, though, I totally didn't buy nearly as much make-up as I thought I would from Sephora. I'm just sayin'.
Chanel Summer 2013 L'Été Papillon de Chanel Collection Le Vernis Nail Colour in Azuré and Bel-Argus
MAC Fix+, Prep + Prep Natural Radiance, Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50, Mineralize Concealer in NW25, Studio Fix Powder+ Foundation (x2), and Blot Powder Pressed in Medium Dark
MAC Eyebrows in Brunette (x2) and Lingering (x2), Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash Mascara (x3), and Boot Black Liquid Eye Liner (x2)
While I was in Bloomingdale's, I was doing a really good job of avoiding most of the cosmetics counters until I hit Chanel and saw that the Summer 2013 collection finally came out. Nothing really interested me except for the nail polishes, and when I saw the two blue shades, I had to get them and nothing was going to get in the way of them being in my possession. I was having a nice chat with the guy at the counter, who was totally enabling me (as if I needed to be enabled) and was all, "Oh, my god, you totally need both. Think of how amazing they'll look in the sun! They're totally going to be my summer pedicure colours, I'm so excited!" And then we talked for like, ten minutes about nail polish. I was surprised to learn that the retail prices in the US are actually the same in Canada (and I found out it's the same with Dior), but at least I saved a bit on the tax. Finally, I went to the MAC Store, which was right next door to Bloomingdale's, and bought some of my staples (some of them in multiples!). Nothing too crazy or exciting, but MAC retails for quite a bit less in the US, and I thought I'd take advantage of that, plus my make-up artist discount, as well as the lower tax rate. And, yep, that's all the cosmetics I bought in New York! I didn't do too badly, now did I?

Sephora 130 W 34th StreetNew York, NY 10001(212) 629-9135
Bloomingdale's Soho504 Broadway New York, NY 10012(212) 720-5900
MAC Cosmetics506 BroadwayNew York, NY 10012(212) 334-4641

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Cameo

So, I'm on a bit of a cream polish kick right now; I can't even tell you how great it is to be able to take off all of your nail polish in less than a minute after getting used to spending a good 15 minutes soaking your nails in 100% acetone to remove glitter (which is basically all I wore during the holidays). As I had mentioned, I'd picked up two Sephora-exclusive Illamasqua shades a couple months ago — after being so impressed with Noble, I couldn't wait to try the second shade, Cameo.


Cameo is a medium-dark periwinkle blue in a cream finish. It has a fluid consistency, without being too thick or runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. It is perfectly self-levelling and applies effortlessly. It has high pigmentation, and will go opaque in two medium coats or one thick coat. I can't think of a good dupe for this shade; Topshop's Celestial is lighter and less purple, and Essie's Bikini So Teeny is much lighter, almost lavender. I actually got more people asking me what this shade was than when I was wearing Noble. It's probably one of the most wearable vibrant blues I've ever seen; I find that a lot of blue nail polishes tend to be too dark, too light, or too bright, but this one has just the perfect intensity. It's a surprisingly unique shade, and in a beautiful formula to boot. What I love most about Cameo is that it seems to transcend seasons; I could just as easily wear this now as in the summer, and it would still seem appropriate. A must-have for any blue polish fiend.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Noble

I thought that after wearing glitter/shimmer polishes for a month on end, it was time to return to cream finishes for a bit. Also because my nails were seriously suffering from removing glitter polish with 100% acetone every three days. I had picked up two Sephora-exclusive Illamasqua shades a couple months ago, and decided to wear the brighter one first.


Noble is a medium vibrant cyan blue in a cream finish. It has a fluid consistency, without being too thick or runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. It is perfectly self-levelling and applies effortlessly. It has high pigmentation, and will go opaque in two medium coats or one thick coat. It is brighter than Deborah Lippmann's On The Beach and Zoya's Robyn, and lighter than Sephora by OPI's Slushied. For whatever reason, I got a lot of compliments on this colour; more so than when I was wearing any of the dupes mentioned. This shade just seems richer and more brilliant on the nails, though it might have something to do with the time of year, too, because it's such an unexpected shade for winter. Either way, if you're looking for a bright electric blue polish, skip all the other ones out there — this is the one to get.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Nomad

As I had mentioned a couple days ago, I made an order on Illamasqua's website recently and picked up several nail polishes along with a few lipsticks. Illamasqua's nail polishes are now available at Sephora in Canada, but this particular shade seemed to be sold out at every single location I'd checked (I was actually on the look out for it when I was in New York in April, and every Sephora there seemed to be sold out of this colour as well). Of course, from there, I got that "I have to have it" mentality, and getting it directly from Illamasqua seemed to be the only way to get one. Nomad is a new shade that was launched with their Human Fundamentalism collection for Spring 2012, but it will be added to Illamasqua's permanent line-up. Each nail polish contains 15 ml of product, and retails for £13.50 or $18.

Nomad is a medium bright seafoam green in a cream finish. It has a fluid consistency without being too thick or too runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without streaking, bubbling, or pulling. It has high pigmentation and will go nearly opaque in one coat, but two will make it perfect. It is more green than Essie's Turquoise & Caicos, brighter and more green than Gosh's Silky Mint, and darker than Nicole by OPI's My Lifesaver. Illamasqua makes my favourite nail polish formula to date — many brands have good formulas, but what Illamasqua succeeds in is consistency. I think I have about 12 polishes from them, and every single one of them has high pigmentation and applies smoothly and fluidly. And Nomad is pretty much the most perfect seafoam green polish I've ever seen and used. And coming from someone who has nearly 50 shades of green nail polish, that's really saying something.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Eurydice, Liable, and Welt

Illamasqua has slowly made headway into Canadian markets via Sephora with their nail polish, but as any Illamasqua fan will know, the rest of their make-up line is sadly unavailable here. If you're like me and are slightly addicted to shopping online at Sephora, you'll know that Illamasqua items are marked as "Canada restricted," so they won't ship their items here. Last time I had checked Illamasqua's website, shipping to Canada costed an arm and a leg, and it just wasn't worth it — I just waited to go to NYC to pick up their products. But being the beauty masochist I am, I decided to look up their new collection on their site to add items to my ever-growing wishlist. And that's when I found out that there's now free international shipping for orders over £75 (the current conversion rate makes that around $120 CAD). So, I obviously put in an order. And it arrived two days later, I kid you not. Anyway, this post features the three lipsticks I ended up ordering. Each lipstick is housed in shiny black plastic square packaging, contains 4 grams of product, and retails for £15.50 or $22.

Eurydice, Liable, and Welt

Eurydice, Liable, and Welt

Eurydice is a medium bright, almost fluorescent, fuchsia pink in a matte finish. It is a new shade from their Human Fundamentalism collection for Spring 2012. It has a very dry texture, so it does pull and skip when being applied. It reminded me a lot of MAC's Retro Matte finish, actually (e.g. Ruby Woo). It does, however, have high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. The wear time is also very long; I would say at least six hours before fading, and this colour definitely stains the lip, which makes wear time appear even longer. It is lighter and less cool-toned than MAC Girl About Town, and is less cool-toned than YSL #10 Provocative Pink Rouge Volupté.

Liable is a medium-dark bright reddened orange in a matte finish. It is a new shade from their Human Fundamentalism collection for Spring 2012. It has a very dry texture, so it does pull and skip when being applied. It reminded me a lot of MAC's Retro Matte finish, actually (e.g. Ruby Woo). It does, however, have high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. The wear time is also very long; I would say at least six hours before fading, and this colour definitely stains the lip, which makes wear time appear even longer. It is quite similar to MAC Lady Danger, and very slightly less orange than MAC So Chaud.

Welt is a medium-dark cool-toned muted magenta pink in a matte finish. It is a permanent shade. It has a very creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. The wear time is also very long; I would say at least six hours before fading, and this colour definitely stains the lip, which makes wear time appear even longer. It is more muted and more purple-toned than MAC Girl About Town, and much brighter and more pink than MAC Craving.

I absolutely love, love, love these colours, but I was definitely disappointed at the formula for Eurydice and Liable. I'm not sure if they're limited edition or not, but they were released with Illamasqua's Human Fundamentalism collection a couple months ago, and they were both dry, stiff, and kept tugging on my lips so it was harder to get them to look even. I sincerely hope that's not what all of their future lipstick shades will feel like, because Illamasqua is known for their creamy, smooth matte lipsticks. Welt had the best formula of the three, and is exactly the way I expect Illamasqua's lipsticks to be.

Illamasqua Lipsticks

Along with the Tarte blushes, Mary very kindly picked me up an Illamasqua lipstick (in Box) as well, so in light of this, I thought I would dedicate a post to Illamasqua lipsticks, since I haven't really done a full swatch/review of them. Illamasqua is a British brand that, for whatever reason, is not available in Canada. It was released at some Sephora locations in the US last year, so if you're wondering where I've been getting them, it's been from the States. (However, Sephora does not ship Illamasqua to Canada from their website.) They do ship to Canada from their website now, but shipping costs £8.50 (plus duties!), and it takes anywhere from two to three weeks to arrive, so for now, I feel it's easier to pick up from the US (do look up Sephora locations where Illamasqua is available, though!). Each tube of lipstick contains 4 grams of product, comes in black glossy square packaging, and retails for $22 USD.

Box, Resist, Corrupt, Brink, Fable, and Climax

Box is a bright medium blue-based red in a matte finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with phenomenal pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Russian Red.

Resist is a medium berry pink with plum undertones in a matte finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with phenomenal pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Captive, perhaps a little brighter.

Corrupt is a bright medium blue-based passion pink in a matte finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with phenomenal pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Love Forever!, perhaps a little brighter.

Brink is a bright medium coral-orange in a matte finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with phenomenal pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more orange than MAC Vegas Volt, and darker and brighter than MAC Ravishing.

Fable is a light peachy pink in a matte finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with phenomenal pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more peach than MAC Pink Plaid, more pink and opaque than Shy Girl, and more peach and opaque than MAC Creme Cup.

Climax is a medium dusty rose in a matte finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, with phenomenal pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker than MAC Faux, and cooler than MAC Cosmo.

These are some of the best matte lipsticks I've ever come across, really. They are colour-intense and highly pigmented, and are surprisingly non-drying for matte lipsticks. The texture actually reminds me a lot of MAC's Mattene: creamy and smooth. They have a very good wear time, perhaps six to eight hours. The brighter shades do stain the lip, making wear time appear longer as well. I swear, if Illamasqua ever came to Canada, I would go broke so fast. Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise that they're not here, then...

Illamasqua Haul

Radium, Jo'mina, and Poke

Sydney was kind enough to pick up some Illamasqua goodies for me while she was in New York City last month, and was even kinder to send them to me when she got back. So I got the package in the mail today, which contained three Nail Varnishes and two lipsticks. The first Nail Varnish is Radium, which is a bright acid chartreuse green with iridescent green and chartreuse micro-shimmer. The second one is Jo'mina, which is a bright lilac purple with pink-red undertones in a cream finish. The third one is Poke, which is a bright medium-dark magenta-purple with iridescent purple and silver micro-shimmer. All three are absolutely beautiful, and the formula is just phenomenal: smooth, even flow, amazing colour pay-off, and opaque in one coat. I have found that Illamasqua's nail polish formula is very consistent; I've yet to be disappointed with one (I currently have ten shades). For $14 USD a pop, I find them to be really worth it.

Brink and Fable

The two lipsticks I got are Brink and Fable. Brink is a gorgeous bright medium peachy-coral in a matte finish. The colour is like MAC Vegas Volt and Ravishing mixed together, or if MAC Cremesheen Glass in Richer, Lusher was completely opaque. Fable is a warm bubblegum pink in a matte finish. It's like a lighter and warmer version of MAC Pink Plaid. Both shades go on completely smooth and opaque. They are matte finishes, and while they're not moisturizing, they feel very comfortable on the lips. Illamasqua's lipsticks have some of the best pigmentation I've ever seen, with a fairly long wear-time as well. At $20 USD each, they are more expensive than MAC, but are otherwise in-line with most luxury brands. I really, really love Illamasqua's products; it's definitely a brand created by make-up artists for make-up lovers. Moreover, the quality never wavers and I really do think they're worth the price. My only qualm about Illamasqua? It isn't available in Canada. I don't know why, 'cause Illamasqua is made in the UK. We share a queen, for god's sake! They need to get on this, stat.

Thanks again, Sydney!

Boston: Day 2, Sephora (Prudential Center)

Stopped by the Shops at Prudential Center in the evening because the Sephora store there is the only one in all of Massachusetts that carries Illamasqua. And because Illamasqua isn't carried in Canada, I had to stock up. My final haul includes:

Illamasqua's Lipstick in Resist (matte deep rose pink) and Intense Lipgloss in Frenzy (bright hot pink). This is my first time trying Illamasqua's lip products, and they are both super-pigmented with completely opaque colour. The lipstick is incredibly smooth and moisturizing while being quite long-lasting. The gloss is non-sticky and fairly hydrating. It's almost like a liquid lipstick with high-gloss shine. I will need to pick up more shades next time I'm in the States.

Illamasqua's Nail Varnish in Grab (grape magenta cream), Phallic (shimmery midnight navy), Force (bright royal blue cream), Fern (shimmery bright sky blue), Viridian (dark teal with micro-shimmer), Muse (mid-tone teal cream), and Milf (vintage mint green cream). I'd have to say that these are my favourite nail polish formula, ever. And that's saying a lot, because I have a shit ton of nail polish. They go on smooth, even, and intensely pigmented. Seriously, one coat is actually enough for opaque coverage with no streaks.

Korres' Lip Butter in Pomegranate (sheer coral), Guava (clear), Jasmine (sheer neutral pink), and Quince (sheer rose pink). I love Pomegranate and Quince (as well as Plum, which I bought last week) for a nice flush of colour on the lips, and Jasmine for a natural look. And I use Guava all the time: in the morning, under lipstick, before bed. I love that you get so much of it in a jar, too. I swear, one of those will last me at least four months.

Fresh's Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum Rollerball and Body Lotion set, Soy Face Cleanser (amazing for taking off face and eye make-up - super gentle, and no stinging at all), Soy Face Exfoliant (makes skin super smooth and glowy after one use), and Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15. You can totally get all of this in Canada, but I wanted to take advantage of the strong Canadian dollar, the lower American retail price, and the lower sales tax rate in Massachusetts.

Sephora Beauty Insider redemption freebies: Josie Maran's Bear Naked Wipes. I don't usually like wipes to take off my make-up, but not gonna lie, these are pretty decent (even takes off mascara relatively well). And really quite handy when I'm super-tired at night and just want to sleep.

Yes, I'm well aware of my make-up addiction problem.